How to solve traffic gridlock on Lekki axis, by Akomolede

THAT there is a nexus between property development and transportation is a settled phenomenon. People do not just move about! They are always moving from one property to another.

This could be from the residential house to work in an office, market, or a recreational facility. Consequently, estate planners have always put accessibility into great consideration when planning an estate.

Failure to do this has always resulted into facility failure. How much this fact has been taken into consideration in the ongoing development along the Lekki axis has been a major concern.
The construction of the Lekki/Epe road by the administration of Alhaji Lateef Jakande opened up a vast area of land, which hitherto had been locked up. Before then Maroko, a slum on the fringe of Victoria Island was the end of the city of Lagos. Beyond that was swampy land with scanty hamlets, which were only accessible by sea or footpaths.

The story is different today. The Lekki axis is the seat of several luxury estates both government and privately owned, which are too numerous to be mentioned. These have attracted movements of people and goods such that the traffic situation as at today is terrible at certain hours of the day.

People living beyond Ajah who want to commute to work in Victoria Island or Lagos Island by 8a.m have to always leave home by 5a.m. To get home in the evening is the same story. When there is fuel queue, it can be worse.
One can imagine what the situation will be when the several land mark developments that are earmarked for the axis take off. These include a refinery, an airport, a seaport, an Export Processing Zone (EPZ), golf course and many housing estates as well as shopping plazas.

Imagine several trailers and trucks bringing in and taking goods from the port. Imagine petrol tankers lifting oil from the refinery. It may be worse than what we see along the Apapa /Oshodi road today. We need to know what the Federal and Lagos state governments are doing about this. They do not have to wait until the bubble bursts before they begin to think of solutions.
In anticipation of the problems, I hereby suggest the following plausible solutions, which may reduce or solve the traffic problems that will arise as a result of these developments.

ONE: The Lekki/Epe road should be extended to join the Shagamu/Ore road at Ijebu Ode as a dual carriageway. This will divert all traffic going to other parts of the country from passing through Lekki and the city of Lagos.
TWO: The much talked about coastal road, which is to be a continuation of the Ahmadu Bello Way, should be constructed to take some traffic off the Lekki/ Epe road.

THREE: A light rail service similar to what is going on, along the Lagos/Badagry road will serve as a mass transit for people going and coming to these developments, thereby relieving the Lekki/Epe road of some of the traffic.

FOUR: The initial plan of Lekki phase one had a provision for the extension of the road that takes off from the third roundabout (Second Roundabout then) across the lagoon to join the third mainland bridge at the Adeniji Adele interchange. This will divert traffic going to the mainland from passing through Victoria Island or Ikoyi. It should be given utmost consideration now.
The initial plan for the expansion of the present Lekki road with the tollgates contained the construction of flyovers at all the points where we have roundabouts now. If this is done, it will go a long way to reduce the build up of traffic at each of these roundabouts. These should be done as quickly as possible.

I believe that if these steps are taken the impending traffic jigsaw that is waiting to explode in the Lekki axis can be reduced if not eliminated. And these steps should start right now before the proposed developments are completed. Unless this is done, the Lekki axis is a time bomb only waiting to explode, traffic wise!